The Productive Parks 5-Minute Podcast

Park maintenance departments face a common problem: There is too much to do and not enough time and resources to do it. Maintenance managers face difficult decisions about what work needs to be done and what has to be shelved for another day.   But there’s a problem… Deferring maintenance can end up costing much more in the long run. Equipment breakdowns. Program cancellations. Expensive repairs....

We’re back! Welcome to season 4! It’s the busy growing season. Your head is on a swivel. It seems like a never-ending stream of work requests, emails, phone calls, and meetings in the hallway are coming your way.  The work is piling up, and then the Executive Director calls you about an emergency issue at one of your parks. Just like that, the work you scheduled out for the week has to be re-juggl...

Can you make a long-lasting, fulfilling career out of park maintenance? Will you make enough to sustain your family and passions? After all, for some, working in park maintenance is a dream job–being outdoors, solving problems, and making an impact on the community. Plus, many park operations jobs are projected for favorable or very favorable employment growth potential in the future. But can you...

Picnic shelters can serve several functions at your parks, from special events and recreation programming to family gatherings. The shelters also serve as an easy way to get out of the sun or get protection during a surprise downpour.   A well-maintained picnic shelter serves as a safe, accessible place where people can gather. Some routine tasks and inspections can help increase the lifespan of t...

Park maintenance managers face continued pressure to do more with less. Their maintenance budgets get slashed. They have fewer staff. The expectations continue to grow despite the lack of resources. It’s enough to spread any park maintenance team thin. What’s the solution? One thing you can do is review your current operations to see if there are alternative approaches that may improve efficiency....

Working out in a gym isn’t for everyone. Some people prefer their exercise outdoors. As outdoor fitness equipment continues to evolve in our parks and open spaces, so does its popularity.  Outdoor fitness equipment enables parks and recreation agencies to offer their communities opportunities to expand and diversify their fitness routines. You want to make sure that the equipment remains safe, fun...

It’s the middle of summer. This time of year, you may get a chance to experience a very brief moment of respite. A little lull between the madness of the start of the growing season, special events, and other recreation programming.  Although this is often a time for a much-needed breather, it can also present an opportunity that will help you the rest of the summer. A midsummer review of your mai...

You have some park maintenance staff who can do some pretty amazing things for your agency. Individuals who can fix broken irrigation systems, set up for large events, and care for amazing-looking sports fields. But even the best technicians can struggle when the team isn’t working well together. The entire park maintenance team feels the effects when issues arise with communication, engagement, t...

Late spring and early summer…It’s that time of year when just about every park maintenance crew is struggling to keep their heads above water. And now they are being asked to help with some of the special events. We all know special events are a big part of programming for parks and recreation agencies, and summer is full of them. So, how can you make it easier for an already stressed, overextende...

There are a lot of different campgrounds out there. From the open space areas with strategically-placed bathrooms, grills, and garbage cans to resort-like sites with plenty of amenities.  One thing is common for all these campsites--they require maintenance to give visitors a safe, positive experience. But do campsites need a maintenance management system (CMMS) software to help the maintenance te...

There’s going to come a time when it is no longer feasible to repair some of your park maintenance equipment. You are going to have to replace the equipment. You want to make sure you get your money’s worth out of the new equipment. And you want to make sure the maintenance equipment provides staff with the tools they need to effectively complete their tasks.  After all, misguided or hasty equipme...

You worked hard to hire qualified seasonal staff to help with your parks maintenance operations. Well-trained seasonal staff helps your maintenance team operate more efficiently, provides support to full-time staff, and increases the chance that the seasonals will return next year. Now it’s time to train the seasonal staff to set them up for success. You want to be sure that they have everything t...

A park cleanup event can be an excellent opportunity to address maintenance needs for your parks while getting the community involved. Community park cleanup events can help the maintenance team catch up on less skilled work like trash cleanup, weeding, removing invasive plants, and other beautification projects. Don’t let that opportunity go to waste! A poorly planned cleanup event can mean work...

As a park and recreation agency, we all come to this crossroads…should we keep repairing older playground equipment, or is it time to replace it? You want to provide the best play environments for your community but probably have budget constraints and a maintenance backlog. Still, the repairs are starting to get more expensive and frequent. Is it time to finally replace the playground equipment? ...

Is your park maintenance team dealing with issues? Are there things that constantly nag at your park and recreation agency? Well, you are not alone. As much as you’d like to think other parks departments have it all together, they are likely struggling with at least some challenges.  Despite parks and recreation agencies coming in all different shapes and sizes, they often encounter similar challe...

Communication. We do it every day. Conversations, phone calls, emails, and messaging…It seems nonstop. Yet communication remains to be one of the greatest challenges within many organizations–including parks and recreation agencies. Technology may make communicating with one another easier, but it doesn’t necessarily make us better at it. Interactions among supervisory staff, administrators, and f...

Winter usually means more people spending time indoors–and coming to your indoor recreation facilities, gyms, and workout centers. The weather conditions, additional programming, and increased foot traffic can all impact how staff need to maintain these facilities.  The challenges recreation centers face during the winter can be addressed with some planning, procedures, and maintenance routines. A...

Harsh winter weather can be hard on recreation facility exteriors. If you are a facility manager, you’ve seen how freezing temperatures, heavy snow, high winds, and other winter weather can cause damage and hazardous conditions.   Luckily, with some planning and preparation, you can reduce the risk of common issues recreation facilities face during the winter. Help make sure your exteriors stay re...

It can be an exciting time when parks and recreation agencies invest in computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) software. But it can also be a challenging time to adopt CMMS software.  After all, change isn’t always easy. Maintenance staff may not initially adopt CMMS software. It can be a stressful transition as the staff learns how to use maintenance management software. Spending time...

Now that the weather is starting to turn and some parts of the country are starting to face more wintery conditions, you may ask yourself if your playgrounds are ready for the change of season. Late fall is a critical time to ensure playgrounds remain safe and functional during the winter. The playground inspections and preventative maintenance you do now can go a long way to ensure issues are add...

Picture this…You started your maintenance team seasonal hiring. You found some perfect new additions for your maintenance department.  What happens on their first day? What kind of maintenance training is available during the onboarding process? Do they watch some standard videos that every new hire watches? Do that shadow an established maintenance staff for a few days? Are they left to their own...

Park maintenance is the backbone of a dynamic parks and recreation agency. The varied duties of a parks maintenance worker help ensure that recreation programming, special events, and visits to parks and facilities are safe and positive experiences for the public. However, many people don’t understand all the responsibilities of a park maintenance worker and the skills necessary to complete them. ...

In the perfect world, your maintenance team would have all the funding and resources you need for general operations, necessary repairs, and special projects.  And then there is reality. More often than not, budget constraints keep teams from doing everything that needs to be done. Backlogs of work pile up. Small issues get missed. Emergency repairs are needed. Managers have to become creative to...

Most people work better when they have a clear path to follow. When they understand what needs to be done and why. Unfortunately, not every agency has focused short- and long-term goals that give a sense of purpose and unity.  You may have heard of key performance indicators (KPIs) before. But do parks and recreation agencies really need KPIs? In short, Yes! Parks and recreation agencies with clea...

How important is inventory management for parks and recreation? We often take our inventory for granted until we unexpectedly run out of something...at the worst possible time. Or maybe someone orders too much of something, and there is nowhere to put it. Then, inventory comes into full focus. Being proactive with inventory allows your agency to take the mystery out of storage closets and cabinets...